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My kittens, 

I’ve wanted to write this post for you for a long time now, but I didn’t really know where to start, I don’t claim to know the truth, because I’ve made my fair share of mistakes, but I think I need to take a step back so this post could mature. Without any further ado, I give you this mini survival kit for the life of an entrepreneur!

I’m going to tell you a little story: A long, long time ago, and actually not that long, I trampled the steps of the first company that ever hired me for my first internship. I don’t recall if I was excited or happy but I remember thinking to myself, with fear and exactitude: “It’s going to be so hard to get up to go work every morning for someone else.” And instantly, a little voice came right after, the voice of reason without doubt, took over and concluded with something like “Well, you’ve got your work cut out for you my dear, you are on the road to a long life of working for companies.”

And so I continued doing internships, short-term contracts, odd jobs working in bars, some long-term contracts, and then one day, I was lucky enough to have the good idea to open Make My Lemonade. Why was it a good idea? Because all of a sudden, kind of by chance, this blog became my playground, the place where I wanted to experiment, the winding paths of the web gave me the chance to meet you and continue to see that there are more and more of you with every passing day. I continued to experiment, and my set designs for the blog have become set designs for photo shoots and showcases, and my DIYs have become workshops that bring life to communities supporting brands, etc…

So yes, I am conscious of how lucky I am to have gotten to where I am today, but quite honestly, I think I've never worked as hard as I have been since I no longer have a "real job.” I vividly remember a discussion I had with a friend one weekend to whom I said I wanted to try to do turn Make My Lemonade into my main occupation. I remember she told me to wait six months, that it might still be a little soon to take such a leap. And then, funny how life works, the following Monday, I was laid off and, with a smalI pit of fear in my stomach, I decided to jump in with two feet, and make my little website my life. Without the slightest idea of the fact that I would not being doing what is considered normal and without any perspective on what this new job waiting for me would entail.

Well, you know what? That was the most brave, yet nonsensical thing I’ve ever done: I took a leap, with no safey net. I became my own boss, so that when I get up in the morning, I’m working for myself and towards my dreams. Do you believe it, it was 2 years ago, I was 25, it was like yesterday but I feel like it’s been decades. It’s hasn’t always been easy, but I’ve become an old person with almost 27 years of wisdom, I can try to give you some tips to get you started, just like me, without a safety net. 

- Ask for help. LOL super, thanks a lot, no but for real, when you start your own business, get professional advice from an accountant, to whom you can explain your professional activities, and together you can choose the best option for starting your business. Take meetings with several accountants, it’s important to feel at ease with and trust this person, and above all, be sure that the accountant you choose really understands what you do, so as to direct you through the maze of the subtleties of French law.

- Be organized, it’s silly and I love that I’m the one telling you this, I’m no role model of organization but I’m working hard on it and I know that if I could be a bit more organized, it would make my life so much easier. Before leaving for the office, prepare a list of the things you want and have to do the next day in one column labelled “Dream list of the day.” In another column, it’s important and since life is not perfect, you’re going to forget things, you might get some emails, and incoming calls, giving you new things to do, and so write all that down in that other column, I’ve personally baptized it as the “Shit happens” column. But at the end of the day, if I’ve checked off all the things in the annoying column, I feel much lighter, even if I haven’t checked off all the things on my dream to-do list. (No, I am not crazy).

- Manage your time well: for example, instead of accepting lunch dates every day of the week which literally cut your days in half, do short lunches not far from your workplace…And, other tips, set aside one whole day each week for all your appointments, meetings, like Wednesdays for example, and if ever one of your clients can’t make it, set the appointment for the following Wednesday or otherwise, a breakfast meeting or a skype date. But really, set your own rules, because between the time it takes to get to the appointment, prepare what you are going to say, have the meeting, return to the office, and dive into another project, 3 hours have gone by and all that for just one appointment…

- Disconnect. When you start your own business, vacation, holidays and weekends are very vague concepts, but let me remind you (and myself), weekends are very important. Yeah, it’s true, I don’t really take vacation, actually not at all for that matter, but after a certain time of day, I take the phone off the hook, and I reserve at least one day of the weekend, even though it’s hard, even if I have things to do, for myself. Don’t touch your computer, even as a joke, or to take your temperature. Connect to the grid if you must, but try to preserve yourself so that you’re refreshed when you get back to work, and not ready to explode in mid-flight. Because although it’s invigorating to work towards your dreams, your body is a machine and at some point adrenaline will no longer be enough, so take care of yourself and you’ll see how high you bounce out of bed on Monday morning!

- Tidy up. I think this will definitely make some of you laugh, but it’s true, I have become an organized person, “it derails” a bit sometimes because it’s hard to silence your true nature. But it’s a real pleasure to arrive at your office in the morning, spotless, not bits of paper and stress confetti on in your work space. And at night, just before you leave, after your dream list is updated, tidy up everything, to start the process of disconnecting. And another thing is when I am in a panic (it happens) and I have something urgent to do, all of a sudden, I feel pulled towards an irrepressible mission to clean and sort a drawer full of little office supplies. Some would say it’s procrastination, but you’re wrong, would you believe that’s it a sort of survival mechanism, cleaning up and clearing your head help to organize your thoughts, to master a space (control your mind?), you’ll feel lighter afterwards, always in a rush for sure, but more efficient and ready to deal with any situation. So take a deep breath, tidy up and get started.

- Set goals for youself. Not even big ones, but make some excel charts or google spreadsheets and keep track of your progress, month after month, and give yourself challenges to remind yourself of why you work so hard. These can be monetary goals, or goals to do everything it takes to be mentioned in the specialized press, or challenge yourself to find new, more competitive, partners, challenge each other and keep moving forward! 

- Accept that you are not a superhero.  In the beginning, don’t expect a miracle, whatever your business, you will have to work very hard and do everything yourself, I mean everything, even expense reports, you might have to be the ruthless salesperson, or the genius designer, and even devil's advocate, everything I say. And then one day, I hope it happens sooner rather than later, your finances allow you to hire an assistant! And that day will be a challenge itself. Because you will have to accept Robin (imagine you’re Batman), you will have to trust him, learn to delegate things to him and find out what his strengths are. It will be a transitional period but as Anna Gavalda once said "Being together is all that matters" or the Belgian saying "unity is strength". Basically, one is okay but two is better ... You will be a team, have meetings, all that ... It becomes real!

I do hope this long post has helped you out a bit! It’s hard for me to give life lessons, since I’m right in the middle of it all myself right now, I’ve been getting there slowly but surely for the last 3 years, I feel like my life has never been so rich and even though there are many facets I have yet to master, I get the impression that I am learning more things every day about the hectic life of being your own boss, and reaching my dreams a little bit more each day. I send you big kisses and don’t hesitate to add to my list of tips for the young entrepreneur in the comments!

Translated by Ida Driscoll.

Hey my little darling kitties, 

I want to say beautiful words of love to you, this sunshine makes me want to bill and coo, and give out lemonade at my stand-on-wheels in the streets of the Sentier neighborhood, all afternoon long, instead of working. This weather we are having is like fuel for the neurons! Today I would like to tell you about, without giving it all away, the most beautiful exhibition that I have ever had the fortune to see, in an exclusive sneak preview, at the V&A Museum (Cromwell Road, London SW7 2RL), a retrospective of the works of Alexander McQueen.

To be honest, I knew of the work of this famous Englishman, without really knowing it after all. Upon seeing the exhibition, I truly discovered the extent of his work, and was blown away by his heightened sensitivity…Truth be told, I have rarely been so astonished.

These collections are not articles you would wear in everyday, real life. But they are gifts to humanity. Seriously. If you ask me, he was a true artist, and yes there are many people with talent, but for me, he was more than that. In my opinion, artists are people who create beauty, who tell stories, who make us want their precision and beauty to remain unaltered, everlasting throughout the centuries. At the exhibition, you can see how his work became crazier and crazier, his perspective blended and merged his inspirations, and it’s a tribute to the craftsmanship and skill he put into action in order to relay his message.

If I’m talking about the exhibition itself, I thought it was perfect, a flawless presentation. There were many rooms which paid tribute to various periods and inspirations of Alexander McQueen. There were two rooms in particular that I just fell in love with, an enormous room completely compartmentalized into wooden boxes, inside of which were screens showing projections of old shows, as well as mannequins and accessories, this room was called the Cabinet of Curiosities, for me it was just like a box of chocolates. Everything was exquisite, every detail highlighted, celebrating his meticulous and extraordinary work with different materials. And my breath was taken away a second time when in the room leading up to a hologram of Kate Moss trapped in a glass pyramid. Oh yes, you read it right, impossible to get a picture, but I’ll leave that surprise intact for you. And the second room, covered in a mosaic of mirror facets, with spinning mannequins, reflections to infinity, all that to the soothing sounds of a cute song by Bjork. There you have it, that’s all it took to get the tears flowing!

I was lucky to discover this exhibition thanks to Eurostar and its 2 for 1 program: a program which allows you to gain free entrance to certain exhibitions by simply showing your Eurostar tickets! Attractive offer, right? Here is a list of participating museums.  

Big kisses, and I’m off! By the way, I’ll be in London tomorrow and if I have a bit of time, I think I might let myself be swept away once again…And how about you, have you been to see the Jean Paul Gaultier exhibition at the Grand Palais or that of Jeanne Lanvin at Palais Galleria?

Translated by Ida Driscoll

Hello my little kitties,

I know had promised you a Happy Friday but unfortunately I am confined to my bed, just goes to show how Springtime doesn’t only bring good things… So today, a simple and efficient DIY: the idea came to me a few months ago when I saw a woman wearing a hat at the Chanel runway show, and at that moment, my heart went BOOM! These little coins, in addition to adding real personality to the hat, jingled when she walked, I was hypnotized like a child hearing the sweet sound of the ice cream truck! Without a second thought, I added it to my list of DIYs to publish. Today I am sharing my technique with you, it’s very simple, a bit time-consuming but I’m sure that won’t stop you!

Cost: 10€ not counting the hat
Time needed: 2 hours or 2 good episodes of Game Of Thrones
Difficulty level: Easy and efficient!  

For this DIY, you will need:

• A hat, here’s an Asos,
• An awl (for making holes) or a thick needle,
• Silver rods (like long, thin nails)
• Small silver rings,
• Coins with holes (you can find some at Jacky perles, 38 rue Pastourelle 75003)
• Cutting pliers,
• Flat-nose pliers.

To get started, take your awl and make your first hole. 

 Thread a rod into the hole and then, using your cutting pliers, cut it 1cm from the edge.

Wrap the rod around itself, using your flat-nose pliers, to form a ring. Now take a silver ring, open it and place the coin onto it.

Attach the ring with the coin to the ring on the hat, clasp them together well! Continue in this fashion, we used the seams of the hat as guidelines, one coin for every 3 stitches, up to you depending on the hat you use.

Go for it, good luck, you know that the result will be great and that you’ll find something great to watch while you do this, until the moment of the much-awaited: Ta-Da !!

And now, without any further ado, here are the results you’ve all been waiting for!! A thousand thanks for your participation, it’s always a pleasure to read your anecdotes and enthusiastic remarks, and I’d like to congratulate the winners, you can send us an email at [email protected].

The winner of the Introductory Embroidering course at School of Lesage is Anna MGT and her embroidered foulard!

The winner of the Jimmy Fairly x Make My Lemonade contest is Djelissa La Binocle! 

Translated by Ida Driscoll

Hello kitties!

I am writing to you today to tell you more about our much-talked-about collaboration with the eyeglass-maker Jimmy Fairly! Not because I lost my old pair of Lemons but because you all went nuts over the first edition in September! The pink sunglasses with mirror lenses, and the tortoise shell glasses, quickly found a home upon your little noses… And since the day they went out of stock, many of you have written to us asking when there would be more. Alas, the answer is there will be no more, the concept of a limited edition means that when there are no more, it’s done…

So we thought to ourselves, why not remake them but this time, completely out of acetate, exclusively? Not two pairs, but four, in small quantities, so they become true collectors’ items (yes, collector, and nothing less…). To tell you the truth, I wanted to do only 3. But I was incapable of choosing between two acetates, a darker tortoise shell than the first version, and a slightly sparkly tortoise shell (glitter forever). I asked for your feedback on Instagram and no majority opinion came forward, so since we were on the same page, we listened to you, and we made 2…

I therefore officially declare, with much excitement, the return of the Lemons at Jimmy Fairly !

• In dark tortoise shell, a good, basic model! In both prescription or with brown sun lenses.
• In glittery tortoise shell, for a little twist, both prescription and sunglasses…
• In tortoise shell blue Majorelle, my favorites, both prescription and sunglasses as well.
• In granite acetate, only available as sunglasses, with grey mirror lenses!

So there you have it, this time, once again, I wanted to come up an even better concept, since last time it was about creating an illustration on the packaging, but this time I wanted to give you a real, little item. Yes indeed, with each purchase of a pair of glasses, you will receive a little notebook that matches your glasses, stamped with short mantras which are dear to us here at the studio.

That’s it, little birdies, I hope this last edition of Lemons is to your liking… Since it will be the last! This mini-collection will be available for 10 days exclusively at the new boutique on rue Montorgeuil ! And after that, you will be able to find them at all the other boutiques and on-line at the e-shop for the sweet price of 99€.

 Until that time comes, because you are the best, you can win a pair of Lemons by leaving a comment at the bottom of this article! We have been spoiling you a lot lately around here…To participate, it’s pretty simple, as usual we want to read your comments. Tell us how you feel when you wear glasses and tell us what your favorite pair is! As for me, when I wear eyeglasses I feel like Vera from Scooby Doo, as if I instantly won the neuron lottery, maybe because suddenly I can see clearly and everything becomes limpid…In short, tell me about you! I will also pick the winner at random with the Happy Friday post! Nothing but big news this Friday. Sending you big kisses! Start hitting those keyboards!

Thank you to Lydie for the superb photos and for the lovely moment we spent together, you can find her work here ! I’d also like to give a big thank you to the team at Jimmy Fairly !

Translated by Ida Driscoll

Hello my little seamstresses!

Since the start of Make My Lemonade, many of you have asked where to buy sewing supplies and find good fabric. We thought it would be a good idea to give you some nice addresses (or at least useful ones) some on-line, and some in Paris… So, here are the places we like to go to get our stuff.

Haberdasheries (shops with sewing supplies) :

• Fil 2000: 65 rue Réaumur, 75002 Paris, 01 42 36 48 80. Open Monday through Friday 9 am to 6:30 pm, Saturday 9 am to 1 pm.

Ali Baba’s real cave, here you will find mostly little sewing accessories: eyelets, zippers,bias, grosgrain, thread, simple buttons, but also hessian fabric for patterns, rulers, needles, pins, presser feet, etc… The prices often beat the competition, so arm yourself withpatience when you enter this boutique that’s a big as a handkerchief!

• Hamon : 54 rue de Cléry, 75002 Paris, 01 42 33 27 59. Open Monday-Thursday 9 am to 6 pm, Friday 9 am to 4:15 pm.

Like Fil 2000, this boutique has a lot of variety of choice but also offers a service of scissor sharpening that can be handy. You can also order a mannequin there or specialized books, as well as certain more professional accessories.

• Moline Mercerie : 2,4,6 rue Livingstone, 75018 Paris, 09 64 18 15 14. Open Monday 10am-7pm, Tuesday-Saturday 9:45am-7pm.

A bit more expensive than the previous two, this haberdashery offers a wide selection,including small scraps of Liberty fabric for those who love quilting and patchwork, tulle and some fabric by the meter, and very lovely buttons. Sewing workshops are organized for beginners, you can register on-line. Across the street you’ll find Moline fabrics, you can also buy fabric there by the meter.

• Mercerie Saint-Pierre : 6 rue Charles Nodier, 75018 Paris, 01 42 64 10 86. Open Monday 1:30-6:30 pm, Tuesday-Saturday 10am-6:30pm.

If you purchase something at the Marché St Pierre and you’re missing a button, you can always go there. Don’t forget that there’s also a basement!

• Ruban de Paris : 172, rue Saint-Denis, 75002 Paris, 01 42 36 62 82. Open Monday-Friday 9:30am-6:30pm.
• MSM Ozel France : 73 rue Réaumur, 75002 Paris, 01 40 28 90 92. Open Monday-Friday10am-6:30pm.

On the internet:

• Mercerie Service Plus
• Rascol
• La Mercerie
• Pretty Mercerie 
• Leader Mercerie 
• Ma Petite Mercerie 

Fabric stores:

• Sacrés-Coupons : 4 rue d'Orsel, 75018 Paris, 01 42 64 69 96. Open Monday-Saturday 9:30 am-7 pm.

If you come to the blog often, you know that this boutique is kind of our favorite one for fabric scraps. There are new arrivals regularly, make wise choices, you will inevitably leave with 3 meters of fabric tucked under your arm. On top of it, an e-commerce will soon be opening!

• Marché Saint-Pierre Dreyfus: 2 rue Charles Nodier, 75018 Paris, 01 46 06 92 25. Open

Monday-Friday 10am-6:30pm, Saturday 10am-7pm. The great institution of the neighborhood of Saint Pierre, with a multi-level boutique. Be careful to avoid rush hours, it’s can be as packed as the metro!

• Coupons Saint-Pierre: 1 Place Saint-Pierre, 75018 Paris, 01 42 52 10 79. Open 9:30am-7pm.

There you can find scraps up to max 3 meters, but take your time sorting through everything!

• Tissu Market : 18 rue du Sentier, 75002 Paris, 01 42 21 47 53. Open Monday-Friday 10am-1pm, and in the afternoon 2-6 pm. 

Here you can find fabric not often found elsewhere (certain silks, neoprene, etc…).

On the internet:

• A Little Mercerie 
• Etsy
• Papa Pique et Maman Coud
• Tissus Papi

Other Addresses:

• Pretty ribbons and lace at Mokuba: 18 rue Montmartre, 75001 Paris, 01 40 13 81 41. Open Monday-Friday 9:30am-6:30pm.
• For students or professionals who are looking for fabric or customized finishing touches (zippers for example) Socolatex: 12 Rue du Bourg l'Abbé, 75003 Paris, 01 48 04 97 37.
• For raw materials to dye and a large selection of dyes and tools, go to Shop Text Ponsard : 7 boulevard du Temple, 75003 Paris,  01 42 72 56 40. Open Monday-Saturday 10am-6pm.

Translated by Ida Driscoll

Hello my little kitties! 

I hope your weekend was full of sunshine, personally I feel great, my batteries are recharged with Vitamin D! We had over 5 days of sun in one week, I think we can say that Springtime has officially arrived! I am in a trance, doing the “sundance” in rolled-up jeans, it’s like I’ve been filled wih a new positive energy! And I’m back today to talk to you about a magical moment and a big cherry on top of the cake, you too will be able to take part! Ah I can’t hold out any longer, I’m taking you with me…

Several days ago, with the kind participation of Chanel, I was fortunate to live out a new Lesage experience. Remember last year when I went to visit the Lesage and Lemarié workshops during the making of the Paris-Dubaï collection? I had tried my hand at classic sequins embroidery with the precious assistance of Dominique. It was nuts, wonderfully refreshing, albeit too short, I could have stayed for hours with those embroideresses, have them adopt me if that’s what it would have taken. Then, several weeks ago, Chanel and their art houses offered me an Introduction to Lunéville Hook Embroidering class at the School of Lesage…

Needless to say, hysteria…Because it was already a insane and unique experience, but especially because I had absolutely never, ever before touched a crochet hook in my life…I was so excited to go back to school! And having seen all the documents on the Loïc Prigent’s workshops, I was fascinated by the ease with which the embroideresses would stitch square meters of microscopic Rocaille beads and other decorative sequins with these infamous crochet hooks. I was lucky enough to have a teacher all to myself, the sweet Aline, who was so patient with me…and very pedagogical. I quickly succeeded in doing chain stitches in every direction, I just kept going and going!

The School of Lesage offers embroidering classes for all levels, it’s just like ski medals, after your level is validated, you can go up in level and have access to new training, until you get your black belt in embroidery and then you can apply for the embroidering classes, as their institution is recognized by the biggest luxury houses…I took an introduction to crochet class in which I learned to do chain stitches, sequins and bead embroidery…A real pleasure with great people! And since it’s been a while since I’ve spoiled you, along with the House of Lesage and the art houses of Chanel, we will be offering you the change to win a class in Introduction to Hook Embroidering! Yes, it’s true, you’re not dreaming!

To participate, nothing could be easier; all you have to do is leave a comment here telling me about the last creative thing you learned! I will draw the lucky winner’s name at random for my happy Friday! I’m looking forward to reading your comments!

 Translated by Ida Driscoll

Hello my little kitties!

I’m back, I mean, WE’re back! We had 10 days of craziness at the office, between the tornado of love and preparation for shootings for a new project…Everybody joined in, as a result, so we were a bit absent, but it’s funny to see how excited we were to finish up so we could come back and prepare stuff for you here! We’ve heard your feedback and “good people” are coming, videos, DIYs, contests, sewing advice, all that! Life is crazy and sweet!

Today, filled with emotion and pride, I present to you my latest endeavor! Tattoos not forever ! What’s that, you ask? It’s a book “box set” of instructions on how to do your own temporary tattoos, photos which provide an inspirational user’s guide for tattoos, created by the talented Charlotte Abramow, hundreds of black and white design illustrations, and most importantly, 70 temporary tattoos ready-to-use, right now! This first draft of the book was made possible by my great friend Alexandra Bruel and her Graphic Design studio Piu Design. A real “100% Girl power project,” just like we like them!

I can’t even begin to tell you how long it took for this project to see the light of day, I started drawing illustrations point by point, like you do real tattoos. That was quite a disaster area for an impatient person like me, but Eyrolles, my publishing house, pushed me to keep at it, and I thank them so much for that! And it was also really good to rack our brains revolving around a theme and think up tattoos that I would love to have and ones that I imagine you would love to wear…I got a glimpse of your enthusiasm for temporary tattoos when I partnered up with Bourjois last year.  That was really a super experience but I must admit I was frustrated by the small format of the designs and for this book I wanted to make bigger and more realistic ones as well! 

 Photo taken by The Socialite Family <3

 In this book, you can also detach the illustration plates to scan them and print even more tattoos using the family printer and special temporary tattoo paper, and you can file your plates away inside your book in an envelope containing 70 other ready-to-use tattoos!      So there you have it, I hope you like it, it’s now on-sale at our e-shop www.makemylemonade.bigcartel.com as of today, an exclusive, sneak peek for you, and in bookstores as of Friday!

I’m sending you big kisses! And we want to see you tattooed from head to toe! Share your tattoo photos using the hashtag : #tattoosnotforever 

Thank you Anne and Eric for trusting me, Charlotte for her sweet help, Charlotte Abramow for her craziness, Alexandra for her talent and thank you Nathan Cahen for this amazing video.

 Translated by Ida Driscoll

Hello my sweethearts,

Some of you might have guessed, others may have read it somewhere on the internet, so yes, here it is, I’m getting married! I don’t know if there should be an exclamation point next to that or an ellipsis! I am so happy, and at the same time, this is all so personal…I’m at a loss, but happy.

I had never asked myself the question “Do I ever see myself getting married”? The answer was no, or actually yes, the answer was: “Yes, really to wear a gorgeous gown and organize a mega party.” Not very deep reasons, I’ll give you that, but still very valid ones if you ask me! But I have met the One who has made me want to jump in with both feet, even if it’s crazy, I love the idea of being crazy in love, enough to want to say “forever” to each other, I mean “forever,” that we may inspire each other to become better people…

For 4 months now, I’ve been wearing this ring and I’ve loved keeping this to myself, to ourselves, to our close friends, and now, it’s been a few days that’s it’s become official, well, as far as the web is concerned, so today I’ll give you a brief press release to announce the news, it makes me a little dizzy, because here it is, it’s set in stone, I’m getting married…

But that brings to mind a new question: Why do we say “Congratulations”? Because we haven’t actually done anything yet! We’ve thrown ourselves into the complex business that is wedding planning, people should be wishing us “Good luck, guys”…At first, I said to myself, why “Congratulations”? “Congratulations on getting your hooks into a good guy”? “Congratulations on this new love connection”? And then I talked about it with others and they said that I was being silly and that I must have been raised in a cave, and that what you mean when you say it is “It’s so awesome for you both” or “WICKED, I love a 72-hours champagne fest”

And then all of a sudden, I started second guessing myself on setting the limits of how much I want to show you, to share with you here. Because in the end, it is I, Lisa, who will be getting married, it’s not Make My Lemonade…But at the same time it’s going to be 100% DIY, at least I hope so, so I think I will have a hard time not talking about it here with you…

In short, it’s all unclear… I really don’t know, I’m feeling my way along, it’s funny to see how, when it’s about doing things for yourself, it’s a whole other ballgame. So I’m moving forward, between inspirations and fittings… And in the end, my mind is so occupied by about 10 other projects on the side that I haven’t really started to anticipate my future all in white. Sending you big kisses and thanking you for all your kindness…

Translated by Ida Driscoll

Rita jackets created with thick crepe fabric. The Jacques Tati pink and midnight blue come from Sacrés Coupons, 4bis rue d'Orsel in the 18^th and the buttons from La Dentellière, 17 rue d'Orsel 75018.

Hello little kitties ! 

Oh how I love you! How I dig you! The messages you posted yesterday made us so happy! We will take all your comments into account, it encourages us to go for what we want and make things happen, thanks for that too… Today we are back, just about a month after the blouse called Bianca, with the Rita jacket ! The Rita jacket is kind of like a mid-season trapeze coat, since it has no inner lining, I can hear your sighs of relief from here… With its four pockets, you will learn how to make box pleats, you’ll see, it’s not rocket science!

So this month, good news, there is no collar, nothing particularly hard to do, albeit a bit long because of the pockets, but you could also make classic ones with no pleats or flaps. But we know that you have a knack for this, judging from all of the creations you’ve shared with us… I did indeed read your suggestion for having a page on the blog dedicated to showing the creations of other readers, we are going to work on that, but in the meantime, you can find all these creations on Instagram and Twitter by typing the hashtag #DIYwearlemonade in the search bar! 

Rita jackets created with thick, polka-dot cotton from Sacrés Coupons, the boutique "le coin des affaires" (Bargain corner), at 10 rue Seveste in the 18th and the buttons from La Dentellière, 17 rue d'Orsel 75018.

I apologize in advance for my verbal tics like “it’s up to you” or when I restate the obvious like “go over your seams with an iron,” yes, it’s true that it’s actually a good practice… In short, it’s really a profession of voiceovers! I wish you happy viewing… A bit of technical advice to make this jacket, you will need 1.75 meters of fabric maximum for a width of 1.40 meters, and if you want to make Rita out of a thicker fabric, plan for one size higher than your usual size. 

In other good news, shipping and handling fees for the patterns, within France, have gone down to only 2.50€, it’s bananas! We are making improvements and finding solutions, by the way, on the template to be downloaded you will see, there is a test square measuring 5cm x 5cm... Once again, feel free to send us your feedback, we learn so much from your remarks.

 And this Rita jacket was made with oil cloth on acid Marimekko. 

And in the video, I was telling you about two great places in Paris to make your buttonholes:

• The first is "Mireille boutonnière", 21 rue des petits carreaux 75002 Paris, the stairwell at the back of the courtyard, count on about 0,20 cents per buttonhole.
• And the other one is the taylor shop in the Passage du Prado, 12 Rue du Faubourg Saint-Denis, 75010 Paris. Plan on spending about 3 Euros per garment.

I hope you like Rita! I’m sending you big kisses and we are looking forward to your feedback and pics of your own creations!

Hello kitties ! 

I was supposed to post this article yesterday, but as a result of overthinking it, starting to write and then doubting my words, I decided to simplify my life and stop trying to write lame summaries, it’s not an exercise in which I excel, birthdays… So I’m going to try to be brief, because, without me even realizing what was happening, Make My Lemonade has changed my life… I am truly moved because I realized it last week, without even really thinking about it – the blog celebrated its third birthday. Three years, that I’ve been running around for. Two years since I went out on my own and 1 year since the existence of the Lemon Team ! I’m emotional because within 3 years, my life has changed and it’s all thanks to the blog, and to you. When I decided to embark on my blog adventure, I felt like I was sending out a message in a bottle into the vast ocean of the internets and eventually, you found me me, a wave of love, there are more and more of you every day… I find it crazy to think that I tell you to meet back here in every article, I read your opinions through your comments, your e-mails, on social networks… I am filled with gratitude, and it’s so nice to get such great feedback on what you do. So thank you, for that, for being so sweet, so intelligent and so sensitive as well. You make me want to be a better person, tosurprise you, a bit like a love story, you make me grow up, and over time, I’ve learned to do things to please you but above all for myself… You have enabled me to achieve my wildest dreams, but we’ll talk more about that very soon…And despite me being a pile of doubts, you allow me to climb my way up the ladder of life, a bit higher every day. I apologize for not warning you that this would be a cheesy article with violins playing and heart-shaped chocolates floating around, but that’s just how it came out… THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU

If you would be so kind as to help me out, all you need is two minutes, I would love for you to answer the following three questions which have been nagging at me, yes nagging, as it would greatly help me to better provide your daily dosage of lemonade…

• - At what point in your day do you usually consult Make My Lemonade, in the morning with your breakfast, at noon when you get back from your lunch break, in the evening during your commute home ?
•  - What kind of feature articles would you like to see more of ? DIY, Outfits, Beauty tips, Making of, tell me what you think?
•  - If you could optimize something in terms of navigation, would you like to have a lemonade forum for DIY helpful tips, fabric shops and sewing classes ?

Lemonadely yours, 

Lisa 

Translated by Ida Driscoll

Happy Monday, folks ! 

I just wanted to briefly deliver the DIY for the moon… To be completely honest with you, I’m not really sure how all this came about in my life but I’ve got a real obsession for this satellite. What happened was, for my beloved, I registered at « Lisa from the Moon »… I went on and on with Pierrot La Lune at Christmas... I have a giant moon in my living room, which is back in stock by the way at our e-shop ! I dream of having offices on rue de la Lune, I watch every possible documentary, in short, I’m fixated…Then, the other day, I found a random globe of the earth and I decided to try to do something with it…So here is a super easy DIY for customizing your school globes. Send you kisses, I’ll be back very soon with a very special post !

• Time required : 1-2 hours including dry time 
• Cost : no more than 15€ (not including the cost of the globe, which you can find in any toy store, antique shop or garage sale)
• Difficulty level : like taking candy from a baby...

For this DIY, you will need:

• - A globe,
• - Spray paint of various shades of gray (2 or 3 shades but not 50, ok !)
• - Gold spray paint,
• - Black acrylic,
• - White paint,
• - A picture of the moon to inspire you,
• - Some paper to protect your surface,
• - A toothbrush,
• - A small paintbrush,
• - A sponge,
• - A small roll of scotch tape.

To get started, take your globe off its stand and spray it entirely with light gray. Now take your dark gray and make spots by pressing down gently with the cap of the spray can.

Now spray the globe stand with gold, make it golden ! Then we cut the power wire that turns the globe on because the remains of earth appear super-brightly when it’s turned on and our lamp didn’t work anymore… Now let’s get to the craters, to create them, make short strokes with lighter colored paint while maintaining a circle shape in the center, and drag the paint outwards.

Using your slightly damp sponge, but not too damp, that’s important, pat out your strokes of paint so that they blend into one another to give that lunar aspect. You’ll know that the result is perfect when you no longer see any strokes of paint from when you started.

Now take your dark gray spray paint and press on it slighly to mist the surface of your moon. Second technique for the craters : take a small roll of scotch tape and cover the sticky side with paint…

Now use the scotch tape like a stamp to delineate the base of your crater. Continue as before applying strokes of paint around your craters (alternate using the different shades of gray for a more realistic-looking result).

Dab all over with your sponge ! Moving on to the final phase : take your toothbrush, cover it in white paint…

Scrub with your tootbrush to project the paint to the surface (remember ? like we did for the the advent calendar) ! Let it dry, and Ta-Da !!

Translated by Ida Driscoll.

Happy Sunday, my kittens !

I am writing to you from my window sill where the sun is poking its head out of the clouds…It’s oh so nice… It smells like Spring in the air and even the slight bouts of insomnia at the end of the night are not so unpleasant when I hear the birds chirping. We’re on the right track, my friends ! So today I’m here to talk to you about a special, new hot spot…The Café Lunettes from Jimmy Fairly... Special because, in addition to being brand new, I’m the one responsible for the interior design… And of course you know that my history with Jimmy Fairly goes back a while now. I came up with the "Lemon" pair of glasses last September (new colors will be arriving soon by the way, but I will keep you updated !) And so since January, I’ve been working freelance for them as Artistic Director.

So what does all that mean exactly ? Well, it means that I assist the founders, Antonin and Sacha, in all their decision-making regarding the design of products as well as the interior decorating of their boutiques. From ideas for the design of glasses to the finishing touches on the blinds in the boutique, to the packaging. It’s a real exercise to enter into a realm that is not your own… to put your own stamp on things while staying true to the DNA of the brand. But with the help of mood boards and compromising, it’s been great to see such a large-scale project in evolution.  Imagine opening boutiques throughout France, what a challenge it is to establish your brand and spread your style to new cities ! I am thrilled to be part of these various projects, so today I give you their new boutique located at 45 de la rue Montorgueil.

In fact, the boys wanted the boutique to evoke a New York City coffee shop. So we thought, might as well really push the concept to its limits and treat customers, who try on or buy  a new pair of glasses, to an actual coffee. And it’s also a great way to establish a presence in the landscape of the rue Montorgueil, which is mainly populated by food-related businesses. I hope you like the boutique, in as much as it was such an enriching experience for me to work on the interior design and merchandising of this place !  Right now, take advantage of their offer – the coffee at Jimmy Fairly is on the house and the marble macarons are from Griottes... I’ll be back to talk to you real soon about the return of the Lemons !

Jimmy Fairly, Café lunettes, 45 rue Montorgueil, 75002 PARIS 01 79 72 60 20. Monday to Saturday from 11 am – 7:30 pm !  So, do you like it? I am planning to do a DIY on wooden pearl suspensions very shortly, does that tickle your fancy ? 

Translated by Ida Driscoll.